Friday, September 25, 2015

What a week: September 23; the annual Yom Kippur day parade took over Manhattan. Thousands of atoning Jewish men and women wearing their heaviest, and scratchiest wool suits, shod in their least comfortable, but fashionable shoes, marched down Fifth Avenue, fanning themselves with pledge cards in a demonstration of virtual self-flagellation, while keening to the heavens "Oy vay, my feet. My feet!"

The march, led this year by Woody Allen, passed the Guggenheim, the Neue Galerie (bowing ever so slightly to the lost glory of dem Deutschen Juden), the Met, and finished at Bergdorf's where the penitents, or rather those who completed fully the walk of pain, where awarded a gift card entitling them to a 10 percent discount valid on any day other than a high holy day. Rosie Ruiz was denied a card on the grounds that she was wearing Nikes, and took the subway.

September 24: The New York Philharmonic opened its season at Avery Fisher Hall, I mean David Geffen Hall. Back in the day, when Lincoln Center opened, it was simply known as Philharmonic Hall, but since Phil hadn't dropped a big chunk of change for the honor of having his name attached to the columns, the rights to naming the hall was put up for bid, and Avery Fisher won with a bid of a little more than ten million dollars in 1973.

Well, that was a significant amount in those days, but now... ten million and a metrocard will get you a ride on the subway, provided it isn't shut down for some sort of security threat, or programmed maintenance or police shooting of a dark-skinned individual wielding loose cigarettes in a threatening manner.

So... up for bid again goes the name, and this time we want 21st century amounts of money, and Dutch Schultz's last words are the auctioneer's chant: "Come on get some money in that treasury. We need it. Come on please get it."

Guess who won? David? Right. Koch? Wrong. He already has a theater named after him in Lincoln Center, proving that owning companies convicted of felonies, of stealing resources from Native American and public lands, doesn't mean you're not a gentleman.

Different David. Geffen. Hooray for Hollywood. One hundred million dollars and he gets his name up there....well not forever, but probably for 40 years or so.

This gala event was highlighted by the Philharmonic's performance of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony in A major, Opus 92. In honor of Beethoven, the rich and famous attending the concert renamed themselves, adding the German von to their surnames, as in David von Koch, David von Geffen, Barbara von Walters, Calvin von Klein, Oprah von Winfrey, Barry von Diller. Diane von Furstenberg did not change her name.

The New York Philharmonic, taking its cue from Lincoln Center, then auctioned off the rights to rename it. After the concert, the musical director of the orchestra, Alan Gilbert announced that the orchestra would henceforth be known as the Dreamworks Blackstone Starbucks Philharmonic Orchestra and Barista School. Mr. Gilbert announced he had changed his name to David.

The string section was auctioned off to Uber, and the musicians have been reclassified as "consultants."

The brass was sold to Rio Tinto and has been scrapped.

September 25: Your show of shows: The Pope's in the house. I say the Pope's representin'. The Pope raises the roof. Actually, the Pope is here to restore the roof-- Michaelangelo's paintings of the book of Genesis requiring extensive, and expensive restoration. The Pope, after meeting with Schwarzman, Geffen, former mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Eli Zabar announced that the chapel will be renamed the Sistine Chapel Investment Bank and Delicatessen. Pope Francis announced he too has a new name: Zayde

Saturday, September 19, 2015

With the liquor and drugs...and the Lenin cap.
Or something like that.
He stands for old Labour against austerity.
Loves the political flesh machine.
And the Trident submarine.
It's all the same.
It's just a game.

He's gonna do another striptease
lip synching God Save the Queen
He's the next big thing.
He's a dancing fiend
In the London air
Silver-haired
And he's hypnotizing chickens
I said hypnotizing chickens

Well I'm just a modern guy
Of course, I've had it in both ears before.
I lost one in '73
With Dr. Allende
Lost the other in a mining town
When the ANC shot us down

Got a lust for lifeGot a lust for life

JC's got a shadow named McDonnell
He's a real bad actor
Said he wanted to kill Thatcher
Now says that was just a joke
Regrets how he spoke
Promises to mind his manners
Fold away the red banners
Buy a Union Jack
Buy a Union Jack

Well, I'm just a modern guy
Of course I've been burned before
Didn't learn before
So I'm back for more

Turns out Tsipras is worth a million in prizes

Vacations on yachtsPrivate schools for his tots
I wanna be like him
Custom chrome rims
On my GTO
Easy gig, hypnotizing chickens
I said hypnotizing chickens

Well, I'm just a modern guy
Of course I've had it in both ears before
Got one punctured in Greece
We were golden fleeced
Can't hear a thingwith either ear
Can't use the phone
Got no fear
Cause I'm good at hypnotizing chickens
I said hypnotizing chickens